Punch Planet/System
THE GAME IS STILL IN EARLY ACCESS, EVERYTHING NOTATED HERE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANYTIME
Offensive Mechanics
Chains, Links, Special Cancelling
Punch Planet follows a very similar formula to Street fighter games. Light attacks can be "gatling'd" or chained into each other, and then linked into stronger normals depending on the advantage. Target combos exist for the majority of the roster, and their combo properties are character specific.
As of Patch 0.7.3, Gat and Dog can chain all of their normal attacks.
Additionally, most normals can be cancelled into either special moves or supers. This is on a by character basis so be sure to check the character pages for more information.
Charged Attacks
Certain attacks in Punch Planet can be charged, changing their frame advantage, hit properties, and damage. Charging an attack requires holding the attack button for a certain amount of time. Once it is fully charged it will release automatically. Every character except Dog, Gat, and ARN-N01D have the ability to charge a normal, or special move.
Time Cancel System
Galactic Civilization has reached new heights. With the introduction of Time Canceling Devices, users are able to travel through time! The technology is fairly new and limited, currently allowing travel up to 1 second into the past for small corrections to everyday problems. The devices come equipped with an auto fail safe which will disintegrate your former self preventing any possible time paradox
The Time Cancel System or TC, is the ability to cancel certain actions with the use of T-Meter. THis is Punch Planets major system mechanic; and can be often compared to Street Fighter IV's FADC, or Guilty Gears' Roman Cancel system. T-Meter charges up naturally overtime, or upon a successful Absorb Time Cancel. This system is split into 3 major categories.
Double Time Cancel (DTC) Cost: 1 T-Meter - By Pressing the same attack button twice, you can spend one T-Meter to cancel the normal. This also applies to special attacks. Once cancelled, you are returned to a neutral state; instantly changing the frame advantage of whatever move you decided to DTC. You can also dash, or back-dash during this DTC state. This opens up a plethora of options, including but not limited to: Extending your combos, Making normally unsafe attacks safe, or baiting your opponent. Keep in mind most attacks cannot be DTC'd unless they make contact with the opponent, the exception to this rule are characters with projectiles. (Except Roy, is gun is just too powerful to reverse time on). Certain Attacks can NOT be DTC'd if they are blocked, these are EX reversals, and supers. Be sure to experiment to see just how deep this system goes!
Jump Time Cancel (JTC) Cost: 1/2 T Meter - Pressing Medium Punch and Medium Kick together will allow you to access Jump Time Cancel, a universal overhead attack shared by all characters. While this attack does spend T-meter, it does not -require- it, meaning you can use this technique even if you are out of T-Meter. This attacks' frame data varies, but is generally unsafe on block if done too close. Due to it being an overhead, this attack must be blocked high by the opponent. The attacks range can be extended by inputting the command during your dash. This can also allow you to get over the opponent during their knock-down state, which is generally referred to as a 'Corpse Hop'. Holding both buttons during the attack allows you to empty jump the overhead, meaning you will not perform the attack; allowing you to potentially mix up your opponent if they were prepared to stand-block the high. Hitting an juggled opponent with this attack will add 2 more Juggle Point to your combo. Scroll down for more information regarding the Juggle System.
Absorb Time Cancel (ATC) Cost: 1/2 T-Meter - Pressing Forward and both Medium attack buttons will activate the Absorb Time Cancel, or ATC for short. It costs 1/2 T-Meter to use, but does not require it; similar to the aforementioned JTC. This is commonly referred to as 'Parry', and works in a very similar way to Street Fighter III's parry system. This move negates the hit stun of the opponents attack, preventing them from cancelling their moves, and effectively giving you ample time to punish their offense, and rewards the player with a 1/2 a bar of T-Meter.
During this state you can cancel the ATC into whatever you like; a normal, special, a super, or another ATC if the attack hits multiple times. Please note however, that if the attack's advantage is too high, even if you parry the move you may not be able to punish the opponent. If you 'Whiff' your parry attempt, your character will send their former self backwards and fade away, preventing any time paradoxes from occurring. This is called an Absorb Time Miss, and your character will flash red. This will put you into an extended Counter Hit state, so be careful!
Juggles, and the Juggle Point System
Punch Planet's combo system revolves around utilizing Juggle Points, or JP for short. Certain attacks and specials will 'launch' the opponent into the air, starting the Juggle. Text will appear on the player who started the combo's side telling you how many Juggle Point you currently have, and will go up or down depending on their combo of choice.
Starting a combo gives you 7 JP, and different moves will subtract a certain amount of points. If you attempt to hit the opponent with a move that costs more JP then you currently have, it will whiff. Certain techniques require no juggle points, and can be done freely as long as you have the opponent in the air. Hitting the opponent with a Jump Time Cancel will add 2 JP to your counter, allowing you to further extend your combos.
Certain attacks will also air reset the opponent, ending the juggled state.
Damage Scaling
Damage scaling follows a very simple formula, and can be viewed in game under System Info.
Combo Scaling: 1.0>0.8>0.6>0.5>0.4>0.3
Supers have a minimum scale value of 0.5
Getting a counter hit increases the attacks' damage scaling by 1.25.
Counter Hits
If you hit the opponent during the startup or active frames of most moves, or even the recovery of some moves, you will be rewarded with a Counter Hit. Counter Hits multiply the damage of the hit by 1.25, and lock the opponent in an additional amount of hitstun. +2 frames for Light Attacks, +3 for Medium attacks, and +4 for Heavy attacks.
Combo States
Some moves inflict different combo states, and these states can be used as long as you have the Juggle Points and resources to do so.
Groundbounce: Some moves will bounce the opponent off the ground and allow for combo extensions. The ground bounce state can only be used once the opponent is already in a juggle, and cannot be used while the opponent is on the ground. Examples of moves that can ground bounce are: Maxx 6HP, Cid's Charged 5MP, and Dog's Pinwheel> Dive followup.
Wallbounce: An additional combo extender separate from groundbounces. Gat and Agent-G are the only characters as of patch 0.7.1c where their back throws lead to a wall bounce. Examples of these attacks include: Roy Charged 5HK, Cid's EX Knife Rush, and Tyara's EX Shield Charge. The most -important- thing to remember about certain wallbounce extenders is that they need to be used in a combo, these EX examples will not cause a wallbounce if they are hit in neutral, or as a reversal.
On-The-Ground (OTG): Certain attacks will put the opponent into a 'Hard Knockdown' state. During this state most characters can follow up with an OTG attack. Every character has the ability to hard knockdown the opponent, then follow-up with an OTG option. Sweeps are universal hard knockdown moves for the cast. Examples of OTG attacks are: Roy Low shot, Agent-G's Crescent Splits, and ARN-01D's Orbital Strikes.
Defensive Mechanics
Blocking
Holding back will block high attacks, and holding down-back will block low attacks. You cannot block in the air. Throws, Command Grabs, and Agent-G's 'Legendary Agent' super are unblockable. Certain attacks will force you to stand block after blocking the hit, such as Roy's 2HP.
Chip Damage
Specials and supers do chip damage when blocked. Cid is the exception, who has the ability to charge her normals, and apply chip damage.
Chip damage in this game is universal as of the costume update (Patch 0.5.4). Charged normals do 10 points of damage, special moves doing 20, two bar supers doing 45, and 4 bar on hit supers doing 60.
Armor
Certain attacks can be armored, meaning they can absorb the opposing players attacks. There are two types of armor in Punch Planet as of Patch 0.7.1c. Regular Armor, and EX Armor. Armor can absorb one attack, with the exception of Tyara's shield charge, where while it is being charged it will absorb multiple hits. Armor can be broken with EX moves and Supers. EX armor cannot be broken by EX attacks, but can be broken by supers.
Dashing
Forward Dash
Forward dashes can be inputted by tapping forward twice. Each characters dashes are unique, some being faster or slower than others. Anytime during your forward dash you can input a Jump Time Cancel.
As of patch 0.5.5, getting hit during the start-up or active frames of the dash will put the dashing player into a counter hit state.
Backdash
Tapping back twice will let you backdash. All backdashes by default have 6 invincibility frames, starting on frame 1. As of Patch 0.5.5 all characters' backdashes last for a total of 24 frames, with the first 16 being airbourne.
Getting hit anytime after the invincibility frames will put the dashing player into a counter hit state.
Throws
Every character can forward and back throw. As of patch 0.7.1 Dog is the only character with an air throw. Throws are inputted by pressing LP and LK at the same time (LP+LK), and teched with the same command. Throws have 4 frames of startup, active for 3 frames, and have a total whiff recovery of 21 frames as of the Gat patch (0.7.1). You have a total of 6 frames to tech a throw, and if the tech is successful; both players are pushed from each other and are returned to neutral.
Throws can also be DTC'd on successful grab, allowing you to combo into them with the proper followups, or go for a potential mix up situation.
As of the Gat patch (0.7.1) Dog is the only character who can combo into their throw, with his air throw having the ability to grab a juggled opponent.
Character Specific Mechanics
Cid is the only character as of patch 0.7.1 that can apply chip damage to her normals by charging them.
Dog is the only character with an air throw (0.7.1)
Gat has the ability to chain all of his normal attacks, going up in attack strength. (L>M>H)
Priority System
As of the Gat patch (0.7.1) Punch Planet now has a Priority System. When two attacks collide at the same time, instead of always trading (both hits are applied), the strength of both attacks will be taken into consideration. If one attack has a higher strength value that move will win the trade and their attack will result in a counter hit.
The Priority logic is as follows: (Light->Medium/Projectile->Heavy-> Special)
Frame Data
Frame data for each character is available on the individual character pages.
With the game still in early access, these numbers are in a constant flux; please be aware certain attacks may have changed since the last time this page was edited.
Miscellaneous
The timer is 99 real-world seconds. Timer victories are based on percentage of health.
The game has what's called 'Fake Guts'. a visual only adjustment to how character health is mapped to the health bar. (50% health ~= 45% mapped health bar). There is no real GUTS values in this game, an all scaling/health is not affected by the visual change.
Super Chip damage can kill in this game, regular chip from special moves or certain normal attacks will not.
Taunts can be done by pressing HP+HK at the same time.
